Record-breaking participation in 48 Hours filmmaking competition

Macleans College was represented by 135 students across 21 teams in this year’s national 48 Hours filmmaking competition. This marks a national record for participation from a single school since the event began in 2003.

Over one weekend, each team had to write, shoot and edit a short film in an assigned genre while including specific required elements. At 7 pm Friday the genres and elements were revealed, with categories such as fairytale, man vs nature, action/adventure and ghost film. Every entry also had to feature four elements: an accident, something precious, a miniature and a slow-motion shot. Films were due by 7 pm Sunday, with many teams submitting just minutes before the deadline.

For many Macleans College students, this was their first experience making a film. The challenge of learning new skills in such a short time proved both demanding and rewarding. The creativity of the teams shone through in storylines featuring a plane crash, a heart transplant, a fairytale character support group and AI manifesting as pop-up humans. The final products reflected both the difficulty of the challenge and the fun spirit of the competition.

The completed films will now progress to the heats alongside hundreds of other entries across New Zealand. Standout productions will be nominated in various award categories, including Best School Team. Macleans College looks forward to the results while celebrating an unforgettable weekend of teamwork and collaboration.

In time, the films will be available to watch on the Media at Macleans YouTube channel. Some may also be selected for the annual filmmaking showcase, the Macademy Awards. The line-up for this event will be announced soon.